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Saturday, January 24, 2004

League of Conservation Voters Endorses KerryPledges to Mobilize Environmental Vote for Kerry in the Granite State and Beyond

January 24, 2004

For Immediate Release
Concord, NH –

At a town hall discussion in Concord, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) today endorsed John Kerry for President of the United States. The LCV has never before announced an endorsement prior to the New Hampshire primary.

In the days leading up to the primary, the LCV plans to dispatch organizers to New Hampshire to get-out-the vote for Kerry among the 36,000 registered environmental voters across the state and distribute 20,000 pro-Kerry lit pieces in Portsmouth, Concord, Keene, Durham and Nashua.
“John Kerry is a man whose unparalleled record on environmental issues has earned him an extraordinary lifetime rating from the League of Conservation Voters, and he is clearly the strongest environmentalist in the field,” said Deb Callahan, president of League of Conservation Voters. “John Kerry understands that the American people need a president who will never roll over to corporate contributors at the expense of the health and safety of the public. I urge citizens and environmentalists in New Hampshire to cast their vote for John Kerry on Tuesday.”

The League of Conservation Voters is the political voice of the national environmental movement and the only organization devoted full-time to shaping a pro-environment Congress and White House. Through their National Environmental Scorecard and Presidential Report Card, the organization holds Congress and the Administration accountable for their actions on the environment. In the 2003 Presidential Report Card, the LCV gave President George W. Bush an unprecedented “F” for his environmental actions.

“The League of Conservation Voters fights everyday to strengthen our environment, and I am honored to have them stand with me,” said John Kerry. “We have worked together to stop drilling in the Arctic refuge, increase fuel efficiency of cars and trucks and reduce carbon emissions from power plants. The work of the LCV in New Hampshire and beyond will energize our campaign.”

“In this campaign, I hope to put an end to the false argument that America must choose between a growing economy and a clean environment. Americans can unite behind policies that will protect our natural resources and create jobs. If we offer America a better choice than the divisive rhetoric of the Bush Administration and others who want to turn back the clock on environmental protections, we can build a better future,” said Kerry.

Ever since John Kerry spoke at first Earth Day in Massachusetts 33 years ago, he has been a top leader on the environment, fighting to clean up toxic waste sites, to keep our air and water clean, and to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and other pristine wilderness areas. Kerry has turned a spotlight on the Bush Administration’s rollbacks of our hard-won environmental gains and their outdated, old-economy notions that our environment must be sacrificed in the name of short-term profit.

“John Kerry understands how to protect our water and remove mercury from our air. This is a man who will stand up to the corporate interests and tell them to do what is right for their country, not their wallets. This is a man who understands that the 2004 election is about the world we pass on to our children not passing the problems of our world to our children,” said Ms. Callahan. “John Kerry is the candidate... defeat President Bush, who has compiled the worst environmental record in the history of our nation.”

As President, John Kerry will vigorously pursue an agenda that will honor America’s special treasures and pay tribute to her heritage, while renewing our nation’s promise of clean air, clean water and a bountiful landscape for all. Kerry has outlined a six-point plan for restoring America’s environmental values, while making American economy stronger:

1. A new and permanent commitment to “Green and Clean Communities.” He will fight for “Green and Clean Communities” by removing the threat of toxics from our communities, reinvigorating the Superfund cleanup program, improving our parks, and taking on traffic congestion and sprawl.

2. A new “Conservation Covenant” with America to protect and restore our nation’s Parks, lands, and other treasures for the benefit of future generations.

3. Protecting our Health by Reducing Dangerous Air Emissions. As President, John Kerry will immediately reverse the Bush-Cheney rollbacks of our nation’s Clean Air laws.

4. A new “Restoring America’s Waters” Campaign to clean up our nation’s waters, protect communities’ fresh water supplies, and help communities reclaim their riverfronts and lake-fronts as new centers of economic growth.

5. Reasserting American leadership in the international community to tackle climate change and other key global environmental challenges.

6. A new energy economy that will reassert American energy independence and power job growth and environmental improvement.